An example of relatively large electrical machinery is an electrical generator driven by a turbine in a power generating plant. The electrical generator generally includes a rotor, and a stator surrounding the rotor. Stator windings or coils extend outwardly to the ends of the stator. Adjacent stator windings or coils are held in place by a spacer between adjacent spacer coils and felt and glass banding. Similarly adjacent rotor coils may also be held in place by a spacer between adjacent rotor coils and felt and glass banding.
A coil spacer may include an epoxy or adhesive coated spacer between adjacent stator windings or coils. Similarly, the glass and felt banding may be epoxy or adhesive coated. To advance the cure and/or improve the properties of the epoxy resin or adhesive, externally provided heat may be applied to the spacer and banding.
Current methods for curing epoxy materials or adhesives are to allow them to react naturally at an ambient temperature. Alternatively, there is an option of heating the material with an external source that causes the reactions to occur. Once cured, the degree, or amount, of curing can be advanced by additional heating. As the cure is advanced closer to the theoretical 100% point, mechanical properties of the epoxy or adhesive may improve significantly.
The configuration of an electrical generator generally requires that, to facilitate the curing of stator winding or coil spacers, the electrical generator be placed inside a large industrial-sized oven. Other external localized heating systems may also be used. However, such techniques may be time-consuming and may require large areas and specialized equipment to move the electrical generator and provide the external heat.